The National Library of Ireland rolled out plans in January for a new digital archive of modern Irish history. The archive, called Towards a Republic, will document the tumultuous series of events between 1918 and 1923, beginning with the Irish Republican Army’s brutal struggle for independence from Britain and ending with the Irish Civil War. It is one product of a €2 million … [Read more...] about NLI to Digitize Pre-Republic History of Ireland
History Archives
Divided Society Archives Available
In January the Linen Hall Library in Belfast launched a new digital archive dedicated to the Troubles. Founded in 1968, the institution has amassed over 350,000 primary sources and essays relating to the conflict in Northern Ireland, the largest collection of its kind. The archive, called Divided Society, covers the events from 1990-1998 that culminated in the Good … [Read more...] about Divided Society Archives Available
End in Sight for Titanic’s “Heartbreak Pier” Restoration in Cobh
The final phase of renovations of the pier from which the Titanic launched its fateful maiden voyage began in January, with plans for completion in March 2019. This portion of the project is hoped to establish the long-abandoned structure as an attractive tourist destination. With the support of the Cork County Council and Port of Cork, Titanic Experience Ltd., which devotes … [Read more...] about End in Sight for Titanic’s “Heartbreak Pier” Restoration in Cobh
Wild Irish Woman: “Hello, Suckers!”
Singer, showgirl, and queen of the speakeasy during Prohibition, Mary Guinan was a genuine Irish American wild woman. Larger (and louder) than life, she had an even bigger heart. During the wild and jazzy New York of the 1920s, Texas Guinan was the wildest and jazziest dame in town. Born Mary Louise Cecilia Guinan in 1884, her parents were immigrants from Ireland who settled … [Read more...] about Wild Irish Woman: “Hello, Suckers!”
G.P.A. Healy, the Irish Painter of American Presidents
By Geoffrey Cobb
America’s most prolific 19th century portraitist, whose painting of Abraham Lincoln hangs in the State Dining Room at the White House, was an Irish American born into poverty in Boston. There are more portraits of American presidents hanging in the White House by George Peter Alexander Healy than any other artist, yet amazingly he remains a largely unknown figure to many … [Read more...] about G.P.A. Healy, the Irish Painter of American Presidents